The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-06-29

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borrowed our shotgun. That night the
vigilance came and they whipped me
and whipped Mary, don't know who
it was. They whipped us in our night
clothes First ono and then another
lashcd us both. Niarys so awful hurt
I'm afr"id she'll die. / guess there's
some people want our little propcety and
are trying to drive us away"
Mary Lynch is not moro than seven
teen years old and rather good looking.
She could tell no more than her mother
Wesley Grecn father of Bryant Green,
was found by the importer and said that
the Lynchcs kept a bad place playing
cards and 'whooping' on Sundays. The
vigilantcs, he thought, had done right
in whipping them, Mrs. Lynch was a
respectable woman, he guessed, and the
cutting mp had only been going on
seven or eight months.
Public opinion in tho ncighborhood is
much divided over tho matter, but the
general opinion is that the Knights ought
not to have done the whipping.
The whipping OF women is too fre-
qucnt in tho Knights to be pleasant
Generally their victims arc charged with
unchastity, but it is admitted that there
have been cases when whippings were
given rs the result OF disappointment or
malice.
In Blue River township Lcm Arnold
lived II couple of years ago. Ilo was APP
parontly stout and healthy, -bnt was
accused of shiftlessncss and LETTING Ii.
wife haul wood That winter band of
the knights visited him at midnight,
took him oTt of bed and hauled up n
good supply of fircwood. Arnold drow
the sled in his night shirt, and although
he was literally whipped to keep up the
circulation he died few weoEs alter
ward Of consumption brought on by the
exposure.
In the same township lived Henry
Long, lawyer, accused of being dis
turbing element, especially at elections.
lie was brought to trial before magis-
tratc. While the case was III progress
band of masked men with their coats
turned surrounded the housc. Long
sprang to the door, and shot dead the
first man who entered The victim
proved to be a respected Ercnchman
named NJ. llenriot, whom the mob had
forced into the lead Long tried to
shoot again but his pistol failed him.
He made Il dash through the crowd, but
received several shots, from the effects
OF which he died next day at Corydon.
None OF the band was ever brought to
Justice.
Corydon was once captured by band
of the ''Whito Caps" IN May, 1885,
there was talk of corruption in the coun-
ty Offices, but to the demands for invcs-
tigation no attention was paid. On
Saturday evening two men rode into
town about dark, saying they had come
to see the ku-kluX. Soon horscmcn be-
gan to ride into town from every road
In half an hour between two and three
hundred hate gathered upon the public
square. The .ncn had their coats tnrnCd.
ana MI wore tyhite masks, with dozen
other forms ol disguise. All the horses
had white masks over their heads, with
holes cut for their eyes and ears. A
number of horses had whitc strips tied
around Il forc-leg. The band rode
through every street i'll the town in mil
ltary order, then once around it, and
served to ride into II livery stable and
leave their horses
The next morning letters threatening
the officers unless nn investigation was
ordered were received by the county
commissioners and several of the promi-
ncnt citizens.
An investigation was ordered the next
week. Discrepancies were found III the
trcasurcrs and auditors Offices. TreaSur-
or Bowling turned over II large sum of
money lie had collected, was sued on his
bond and 5000 more was recovered. The
records III the auditors Office were mutt
lated one night, SO n complete invcstiga-
tion could not he had. Auditor a. W.
Brewster, however, paid over -, 900
which IL was thought he owed the
county.
John Jacob Miller well to do farm
or living near Corydon, was brought be-
fore the grand jury as ono Of the mob
He refused to testify and was ordered to
jail for contempt. lie secured few
minutes talk with tho Judge and the
prosecuting attorney, however, and the
order was revoked. Miller went home
and nothing more was ever done i'll the
case.
These instances could be multiplied
by the score. Qucerly enough the IN
dianinns seem not to be much opposed
to the 'White Caps and conclude they
rarely make mistakes in punishmonts.
The moro thoughtful, however, admit
that .hc organization is sometimes tho
weapon Uf private malice and tLat great
wrong is done. Still, nothing is done to
break up the "Knights."
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